Resilient insole



Sept. 17, 1946. M, MARGoLjN L f 2,407,670

' RES ILIENT INSOLE originai Filed July 8, 1940 4 mvN-ron BY' Meylan mmouof ATroRNfgYa Patented Sept. 17, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RESILIENT INSOLE Meyer Margolin, Elgin, Ill.

4 Claims.

This application is a division of my Patent Number 2,319,818, granted May 25, 1943.

My invention relates to a novel resilient insole and more particularly to an insole, the forepart of which is resilient with a periphery of material stili enough to hold the necessary stitching for attachment of the insole in the shoe. My novel insole has grooves located on the bottom thereof, which grooves are substantially rectangular in cross section. The grooves are adapted to be compressed and expanded to provide forced breathing which is transmitted by suitable perforationg in the insole to the interior oi the shoe.

I provide ball cushion support for the foot by means of a central resilient portion of greater thickness than the edge portion of lap and insole.

The prior art has long recognized the problem of a need for a resilient forepart for the shoe. The desirability of an eiective ventilation or forced breathing for the shoe has long been noted, but up to the present time no constructions have Ibeen devised which suitably meet the problems of providing resilience and forced breathing in the forepart of the shoe.

My invention comprises a resilient insole, the forepart of which is primarily constructed oi materials, such as cellular rubber or other resilient material, and the periphery of which comprises either leather alone or leather in combination with the resilient material, the leather providing stiifening and backing for holding the stitching. The relatively stili material may be any material,

the physical properties of which correspond to.

leather in this art.

I provide perforations in the resilient material which extend through the resilient material and I also provide certain transverse grooves which are alternately compressed and expanded by the action of the foot in Walking so Aas to force air from these transverse grooves through the periorations to the foot itself.

I provide various constructions by means of which I can achieve the desirable objective of a resilient insole with stili periphery, which insole is permeable to air and which insole may carry integral therewith metatarsal support and arch support.

My resilient insole is not to be confused with the rubber resilient fillers which have been disclosed in this art. Such iillers lie between the insole and the outsole and although they are resilient in themselves do not increase the resilience of the forepart of the shoe but act only to possibly soften such forepart to the step. Such rubber fillers have been employed to force air into the shoe only by means of a complex arrangement in which an opening under the main arch is empoyed. My construction provides for the rst time a novel resilient insole which in itself is formed to provide resilience for the forepart of the insole and at the same time a forced breathing simultaneously over a large area of the forepart of the shoe.

It is the object of my invention to provide a novel means for attaching a rubber-like forepart portion to a stiff shank piece.

It is a further object o f my invention to form integrally With a rubber-like forepart portion of an insole, a metatarsal arch support and a projection adapted to iit into an opening in a shank piece to engage said forepart portion to Vsaid shank.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a resilient insert with a periphery sufciently stiff to hold the necessary stitching It is a further object of my invention to provide a resilient insole having transverse grooves extending part Ways acrossan insole and perforations adjacent said grooves, said grooves being adapted upon expansion and compression to force air through said perforations.

It is still a further object of my invention'to provide a resilient insert in an insole, which insert carries the above described forced breathing grooves and adjacent perforations.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a resilient insole havingA about its periphery recesses into which are inserted stiffening pieces comprising a stiff toe member, stii side members, and a stiff shank portion of an insole, in separate sections.

These and further objects of my present invention will become apparent from the description which follows taken in connection with the drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of the top of the resilient insole of my invention showing a construction in which the rubber middle portion has a double flap into which double flap are positioned stiffening members which are adapted to hold the stitching of the shoe.

Figure 2 is a Section taken along the lines '2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan View of the top of a modified form of the resilient insole of my invention in which the rubber middle portion has a single ap are laid stifening members to beunit'ed to that.

flap.

Figure 10 is a section taken along the line llil of Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a section taken along the line ll-ll of Figure 9.

Figure 12 is a section taken along the line I2---l2f of Figure 9.

Referring now specifically to Figure 1 I show theshank portionof the insole 20 and the resilient forepart portion 2i. The resilient portion has extending flaps 22 and 23'. These flaps have in the forepart and rear extensions 25, Z1 and 28 molded integrally therewith which are adapted to enter suitable recesses 29 and-35 in the toe stiffening` piece 3I and the portion 20 respectively in order to secure ya posit-ive and accurate engagement therewith. The engagement is effected by inserting the toe piece 3| between the flaps in such a Way that the projection 25 rides into the opening 29 in the indicated` portion of the toel piece and similarly inserting the shank portion 2G between the double flaps so that the projections 21 and- 28 ride into and engage recess'SU-in `the shank portion.

The side stiiTeni-ng` members 33k and 34 are inserted between th'e flaps 22 and 23 at the sides of theV insole andz then suitable rows of stitching 35 and 35 secure the respective stiifening members and shank portion to the resilientV forepart portion. On the bottom of the resilient portion and shown in dotted lines are grooves 31 which are adapted to be compressed to-drive air through the perforations 38- whichvhave the bosses 39.

Ascan be seen in. Figure 4, therear flap extension of th'e resilient portion isl molded in the form of a metatarsalsupport il which has suitable perforations 4I therein to provide for a greater flow of= air and condensation of moisture.

Referring now to .Figure 5, I show a modified form` of my invention, wherein 50 refersrto the shank of the insole and I to the resilient portion of my insole. The resilient portionis formed with an outwardly extending ap at the sides and front portiony and a` double nap at the rear by reason of the metatarsal support molded integrally therewith on the top. The resilient flap is indicated in `the toe portion as 52, at the sides as 53 and the rear asl 54. The added. metatarsal support is55.

As will be notedfrom the sections shown in Figures e, '1 and 8, the nap isonly a portion of the thickness of the resilient main portion itself, the stiff leather portion 56 being of such thickness as to be iiush with the top of the resilient insert. 56 is the toe stiifening portion, it being necessary to have a fairly stiff area at the toe section of the insole. This toe stiffening portion 56 has a recess 5T into which extends the projection 58 which is shown molded integrally with the flap 52. Side reinforcing members 6D and 5| similarly lie over the ap 53 and are secured thereto by stitching 62 and 63. It is to be noted that the line of stitching 63 is immediately adjacent the junction of the insert 5i and the stiffening member 65 so that there can be no gap even under stress at that point. Such gapping would mean pinching of the sock lining with consequent wrinkling.

To effect the joining of the shank 55 to the resilient portion, I provide a projection 65 shown molded integrally with the flap 5d, which projection 65 fits into a recess E6 in the shank portion 5B. Y As described hereinbefore, 'the resilient portion is provided with forced breathing grooves 68 and adjacent perforations 5S having bosses 'I0 at the bottom thereof.

Referring now to Figure 9, I show a Still further modified form of my invention in which I provide a shank portion 15 and a resilient forepart portion 16 which has a single centrally extending nap 61. The toe stiffening portion 'I8 comprises an upper layer 'I9 and a bottom layer 80 of the shape shown at I3 Which fit on each side of the centrally extending flap of the resilient portion and which layers have openings 8| and 82 into which projections 83 and 813 of the centrally extending flap which are molded integrally with the flap, project. Similarly, the side reinforcing members comprise an upper stiifening member 85 and a lower sti'ifening member 86 on each side of the centrally extending liap 6l.

To facilitate the joining of the resilient portion to the shank portion 15, I provide a centrally extending flap 88 having two side projections 39 which t into corresponding openings in the flaps 9) and 9| of the shank portion I5. In the main part of the resilient portion are grooves and adjacent thereto are perforations 95 having on the bottom 'thereof bosses 97V. Extending Referring now generally to the constructions I have` shown throughout Vthe drawing, itis to be noted that it is desirable that the center part of the resilient. forepart is of greater thickness than the peripheral portions thereof. This is to provide a round bottom shoe effect and a center thickness for ball cushion support.

The flap extensions which extend over the stiifening portions are of special value not only because they provide a positive means for securing the insert to the insole, tout also because they provide for a, means for decreasing the thickness from the center to the periphery.

As can be noted, I have shown a number of modifications of my invention whereby I can provide an insole with the resilient forepart portion and stiff toe,.side and shank members in rm union therewith. The Various forms of my invention which I have set forth provide for quick assembly and this is especially an improvement over the form in which al leather insole has a cut out portion in the middle of the forepart thereof and an insert placed therein.

I provide according to my inventionwarious stiffening membersf including a toe stifening member, side stiffening members and a shank portion. 'I'he particular way in which these stiffening members can be united tof the resilient portion has been set forth in detail in Figures 1V to 12. The side stiffening members may be separated from or integral with the shank portion, in which case the resilient materiali is inserted therebetween and it merely remains'for the toe stiffening portion to be united` with the resilient portion. I may provide openings in the from the resilient portion is a metatarsal support toe stifening member and shank portion for the purpose of receiving suitable projections which may be molded into the resilient material so that a positive and accurate engagement is effected between the various parts. Similarly I may provide means for engaging the side stifening elements with the resilient central Vforepart area. To do this, I may, for example, provide projections molded with the aps of the resilient forepart area, which projections are adapted to engage corresponding recesses in the side stiiening members. This provision for locking engagement between the various stiiening elements and the resilient material is of importance both because it provides speed of operation in assembly of the various parts, in that the operator can quickly insert a stiffening part, such as the toe stiffening member, and by fitting the recesses therein with the projections on the resilient material, may determine the proper positioning of that toe stiffening element Without delay.

Similarly with the side stiening elements and the shank portion. In addition to accelerating the assembly operations, this construction also provides for more positive engagement of the various units of my assembly so that before or after the stitching which permanently secures the various parts together, there can be no displacement of the parts with respect to one another. It is obvious that such a displacement would be a serious matter in that it would cause interruption in the operations and produce rejects.

As can be seen, I have exampled a number of different constructions by means of which the periphery of the resilient forepart area of my insole may be so reinforced as to enable it to receive the necessary stitching. I have done this by providing separate side stiiening elements and shank and toe portions and I have also shown that the side portions may be integral with the shank portion, and in that event, a separate toe portion may be quickly inserted in its relative position with the resilient material.

I have further shown that I may form my resilient material With a single ilap centrally positioned or positioned either at the top or the bottom with respect to the thickness of the flap or I rmay provide two flaps in which event the stiffening material is adapted to be inserted therein.

It will be noted that the metatarsal support Which I provide is molded integrally with the resilient material and lies on a flap which rests on the stiff shank portion. This may be seen in Figures 4, 8 and 12, as well as the plan views corresponding thereto.

In my construction, by providing the forced breathing over the entire forepart area of the foot, I provide a well ventilated shoe that effectively and economically solves the problem of shoe ventilation. Specifically, the spaced transv verse grooves provide a great bending flexibility for the insole because of the obvious physical advantages involved and the bosses on the bottom of the perforations provide a` spring effect Which is of definite advantage for obtaining good walking properties. The perforations play their part in providing for greater softness and compressibility for the resilient forepart itself.

It is understood that the constructions set forth above are by Way of example of the principles of my invention only and that I intend to be limited not by the specific constructions shown but only by the claims here appended.

I claim:

1. A resilient insole comprising a resilient central forepart area, a ap formed integrally with said resilient central forepart area, independent edge stiening means carried by said flap.

2. A resilient insole comprising a resilient central forepart area, a flap formed integrally with said resilient central forepart area, peripheral stiiening means secured to said flap anld means for locking said stiifening means to said resilient central forepart area. i

3. A resilient insole comprising a resilient central forepart area, a flap formed integrally With said resilient central forepart area, and a stiff toe piece carried by said flap. l

4. A resilient insole comprising a resilient central forepart area,Y a ap formed integrally with said resilient central forepart area, side stiening means carried by said flap, a stiff toe piece carried by said flap and means for locking said separate stiffening means to said resilient central forepart area.

MEYER MARGlOLIN. 

